The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing and regulating the healthcare sector within the Emirate of Dubai. Passing the DHA exam is a mandatory step for obtaining a professional license from the regulatory body allowing medical professionals to work legally in Dubai’s hospitals, clinics and private sectors. DHA ensures only qualified medical professionals are allowed to work in hospitals and clinics.
The DHA exam is open to wide range of medical professionals who wish to work in Dubai; Physicians( General Practitioners, Specialists, Consultants), Dentists, Ayurveda/ Homeopathy Physicians, Nurses, Other Allied Health Professionals including Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians, Dental Hygienists, Clinical Biochemists, Audiologists, Radiographers, Laboratory Technicians, Dialysis Technicians, Respiratory Therapists, Massage Therapists, Optometrists.
The DHA (Dubai Health Authority) offers various benefits to medical professionals who wish to work in Dubai's healthcare sector. Successfully passing the DHA exam allows one to obtain a professional license to legally practice in Dubai. It enhances your career opportunities and opens doors to work in reputed hospitals, clinics, healthcare institutions across the UAE.
One of the important advantages is international recognition - DHA licensed professionals are often regarded as qualified professionals, which helps you to secure jobs in other GCC nations also. What is more attractive about Dubai is attractive salary packages, tax - free income, growing medical infrastructure & gives you a global exposure. Overall, passing the DHA exam is a significant step for a successful career in the UAE.
The DHA licensing process contains a series of steps designed to ensure that the candidate meets required standards to work in the Dubai Healthcare sector.
The first step is registration on the DHA Portal, the official platform where all applications are initiated. Candidates should create an account providing their personal details and select an appropriate professional category based on their respective qualification and speciality.
Next is the Primary Source Verification(PSV), conducted via Dataflow Group. In this stage the authenticity of educational documents, professional license and work experience is verified. Once the process is initiated, candidates should submit the whole documents required for the processing.
After the documents are accepted, next is to make payment and exam registration. The exam fee should be paid via the portal itself. The DHA exam is a computer based exam containing 150 questions (may vary according to category), 3 hours exam. After completing the prometric exam, the result will be published within 5 working days. The exam result will be either ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’. If you pass the exam, candidates can proceed with final steps towards DHA license. After receiving the DHA license, candidates will become eligible to work in Dubai Healthcare Sector.
The eligibility criteria for the DHA (Dubai Health Authority) may vary according to different categories - such as Doctors, Dentists, Allied Health Professionals.
For doctors, candidates should hold a recognized MBBS or equivalent medical degree from an accredited institution. General Practitioners are required to have minimum 2 years of working experience after internship, while specialists must possess postgraduate qualification (MD, MS, DNB) along with minimum 3 years experience in their respective field. A valid medical license or registration from the home country is mandatory.
For dentists candidates should hold a recognized BDS or equivalent medical degree from an accredited institution. General Dentists are required to have minimum 2 years of working experience after internship, while specialists must possess postgraduate qualification (MDS) along with minimum 3 years experience in their respective field. A valid medical license or registration from the home country is mandatory.
For Allied Health Professionals such as Physiotherapists, Lab professionals, Microbiologists, Radiographers etc should have a relevant diploma or degree from a reputed institution. The minimum requirement is to have 2 years experience after association or council registration and a valid license or registration from the appropriate regulatory body from the home country.
The total cost, including Dataflow and exam fees, is around AED 800–1,200.
It usually takes 6–12 weeks, depending on document verification and scheduling.
It is not mandatory that the documents should be attested at the time of dataflow processing.
Candidates can attempt the DHA exam up to three times.
Yes, recently qualified professionals with valid licenses can apply in some categories such as Lab professionals, Dental Assistant, Nurses etc.
